Education System in Nepal

Nepal has a population of 22.4 million, 44 percent of whom are under the age of 15 years. As the country continues to grow at a rate of 2.4 percent per year, the percentage of youth under 15 in Nepal will most likely increase. With a gross national product of $220-$250 per capita and 35 - 45 percent of its population living below the poverty line, Nepal is classified as one of the world’s least developed and poorest countries. Problems for children and women are greater in the midwestern and far western regions and in the mountains, where poverty is most acute, services least accessible, and gender discrimination most manifest. These regions are also at the center of political turmoil and violence, which has exacerbated poverty and hampered the delivery of basic social services.

   

The country of Nepal has only recently experienced democracy. For years, the country was under the rule of the Rana family, which feared an educated public. Before World War II, several new English middle and high schools were founded in some villages, and a girls’ high school was opened in the capital, Kathmandu. In the villages, public respect for education was increasing, largely as a result of the influence of returning Gurkha soldiers, many of whom had learned to read and write while serving in the British army. Some members of the high-caste families began sending their children to universities in Nepal or India, and it was some of these students who realized how oppressive the policies of Rana rule were; they initiated anti-Rana movements, which eventually led to the overthrow of the Rana in 1951.

            After the 1951 revolution, efforts were made to establish a national education system. Formal schooling in modern times was still constrained by the economy and culture. Children were generally needed to work in the field and at home, and educating females was viewed as unnecessary. In 1975, primary education was made free, and the government became responsible for providing school facilities, teachers, and educational materials. The curriculum in Nepal has been greatly influenced by United States models and was developed with assistance from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Primary schooling was compulsory; .